What Doesn't Kill You
by Rain-Dance-Dani-California
Summary: "It has it's rewards. But it's harder than you think. Most of us will die. The small percentage of us that live will be heroes forever. It isn't fair, no, but it's our life. Are you up for it?" Tales and drabbles of what certain things mean to the Half-Bloods.
1. Upside Down

**I don't own PJO. But honestly, you knew that.**

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For Jason Grace, everything was upside down.

Sitting in Bunker 9, he was waiting on Leo and Piper to come back from the Hecate cabin with those magical fibers. He wasn't sure what he needed magical fibers for, or why he'd insisted that Piper go with him, but he was grateful for the moment of peace.

Not that he didn't like hanging out with the daughter of Aphrodite. She was _girlfriend_ now. Gods, why did that word terrify him?

He knew it wasn't the idea of being a boyfriend. Even though Piper could do some serious damage if they broke up, what with her charmspeak and stuff, that wasn't what was nagging at the back of his mind.

His heart told him it was right. Wasn't that what you were supposed to listen to? Honestly, isn't that the kind of things girls went for? (Not that Piper was into that mushy stuff. For a daughter of Aphrodite, she sure as heck didn't like teen romance)

It was his mind that was giving him trouble. His stupid memories hadn't returned at all yet. Only small glimpses of things that didn't even make any sense. War games. Purple cloaks. Stuffed animals and red lightning.

He winced as they came in a rush, clouding his head and making his brain hurt. Whenever he tried to think of the Roman Camp (he didn't even have a name for the place yet) certain names would come to mind. Dakota, which he wasn't sure whether it was a girl or a guy. Gwen, which came with a nice little flash of blue eyes. Hazel, which reminded him of brown curly hair. The name Bobby came with an image of an elephant in battle armor. That, he was curious about.

But whenever he thought of Piper; her mutli-colored eyes and long dark hair, he thought of another name.

Reyna.

No glimpses, no eyes, not animals parading in armor, just the sucky feeling that he was doing something wrong. And it came at the absolute worst times! Whenever Piper tried to pull their hands together, guilt would knot up into his stomach. If she leaned in for a kiss, he swore he heard crying. It gave him nightmares as he tried to think about what she would even _remotely_ look like. Maybe like Piper, a little, which is why he thought about her around his girlfriend?

No, he would remember being around a girl like Piper. Then again, he'd though the same thing when getting up on that damn bus in Arizona.

He ran his hands through his blonde hair and heaved a sigh. She'd probably have dark hair, and maybe have dark eyes. Reyna wouldn't like romance either. And she would save Jason's ass like Piper had several times. They would have been friends before… his eyebrows knit. Why was this all sounding familiar?

Reyna… he had to remember her so well for a reason. But he had to forget her more than anyone else for some reason too. He sighed, and looked at the sky.

"If I'm doing something wrong, send me a sign any of you. Just please, I need to know."

Nothing happened, like Jason suspected. Tyche, er, Fortuna must really hate him.

"You are doing something wrong. You're moping around while I'm holding this rather heavy package. Jason, be a dear and hold this before my arms fall off from exhaustion,"

Leo and Piper were struggling to come uphill with whatever it was they had in that giant white box. A female voice called out "Don't drop it, Valdez! Do you know how long it took to make those?"

"I can't even fathom," Leo retorted. His normally curly hair was flat on his face. Piper's face was beaded with sweat. She gave him a pointed look with a fake smile.

"You mind?" she stated, like it wasn't really a question. Jason took the box from underneath their hands. For a moment, Jason's face and arms tingled with heat, like Leo had lit tiny fires along is veins. It was pleasurable, though an after effect made it feel like his arm hair was singed.

He vaguely remembered a time when his butt had been saved during a Hydra attack. He could smell smoke and see devastation. A girl smashed into him, hiding from something.

She turned to him. Glossy dark eyes pleaded for help, though her face was a warrior's mask. Her dark hair fell around her shoulders, and she looked from behind their hiding place, before running back again, holding her shield to her face as Jason pulled her back down.

"Jason? Jason!" He heard Piper say. She was shaking her hands in his face rapidly, as though he were blind. "Hello?" she asked.

Jason blinked, putting his hand on his forehead. The world felt like it was shaken from underneath him. He couldn't tell Piper. He wouldn't. Because now, things were on a whole new level.

It was as upside down as it could get. And Jason was hating every minute of it.

* * *

**So, I updated the story a bit. I know they were supposed to be drabbles, but the short length was killing me. **


	2. Favorites

To Aurora Powers, the seven weren't anything.

Except a bunch of favorites. Everyone knew that they each were their parents favorite children, it was so obvious.

Everyone else in this camp watched with awe and amazement-and jealousy, of course- as four of them flew off to retrieve their beloved Percy Jackson. She watched in overwhelming disgust.

And it wasn't that she didn't like any of the seven. She honestly didn't have a problem with them. But they always thought they had it the worst.

Sure, she herself hadn't lost her mom, or her sister at an early age. Sure, she wasn't always chosen to save the world. But was it her fault? Yes, her father was rich, but that didn't mean she lived like a princess. Her father was a director, and lived in California, but that was where the differences between her and any of them stopped.

None of them had ever known what it was like to truly fend for themselves. They'd always had each other, or someone else that had their back. None of them knew what it was really like to be ripped out of your home, not to see your family for years, and when you came back, all you had was shame.

Though it had been a while since the second Titan War, the scars in her mind were fresh. The fallen sprawled throughout the city. The weak gasping for air. Her friend-her _brother_ almost-dead, somewhere, and she couldn't get to him. It was more than any twelve year old could take.

And now these new heroes dared say that they had a tough task ahead of them? Complaining that life was unfair, and they didn't deserve it? Well to her, it was sick. Half of them didn't know war. They didn't know pain. They couldn't understand what it was like to let someone down. She'd learned all that the hard way.

And as the gleaming Argo II sailed into the sky, everyone sent up their cheers and luck. She didn't send up anything.


	3. Unfair

To Conner Stoll, love wasn't fair.

He saw her once, sitting on the pier dangling her feet, not daring to touch the water. Her long dark hair was stuck up in a bun, small curls falling behind her back. She didn't do much, but he thought he'd heard sniffling.

And he never saw her again. She seemed to have just disappeared because no one else had seen her either. Of course, nobody sent out a search for her. They figured she was dead.

His mind strayed to her from time to time, but he didn't really openly think about her. He didn't have much time anyways, what with the war brewing, and new recruits dropping in like flies.

When he came during Winter Break, he figured he could search for her, but his dreams were cut short when Percy Jackson had come back with a new demigod, a kid, maybe ten years old. He was so excited to be a half-blood, that he didn't complain.

But the kid, Nico had disappeared just like _she_ had. And that made him more determined than ever to find her.

Soon, he'd discover that his world would be falling apart, and his camp would be attacked. He wondered if the girl knew, and if she would come to help.

Nico di Angelo, the boy he mentored did. He was taller, paler, and scarier than he remembered. He held his black sword with uncertainty, and slight uncomfort. Never the less, he fought to save.

When the battle erupted, he went into fighting mode. He hacked, slashed, dodged and rolled by monsters. Some were easy, most were difficult, and all were terrifying.

As the monsters ran out, he began to clash swords with demigods. One in particular struck his blade from behind. He whirled around ready to disarm his opponent, when he saw a familiar flash of black hair.

It was her. He could tell from her messy, curly black hair. Her eyes were piercing- a dark green with flecks of purple and gold. He'd realized that he'd never seen them before today. They left him in a trance.

He was sure that by then she was ready to end him, when a piercing shriek cut through the camp. It was so horrible, so concentrated, that everyone dropped their swords and ducked. The girl cried out and covered her ears. She pressed her eyes closed, pushed him away and ran.

As the son of Hermes got his bearings, he saw the marks of battle all over. Fire scars on the hill, demolished boulders and scratched armor. The fallen were scattered.

But the black haired girl was gone, like the rest of the enemies. And of course, he realized she was with them. His heart sank into his chest. Of course, the girl he was crazy about wanted to kill him. All in the life of a demigod.

He sighed, picked up his sword, and walked away, searching for his brother.


	4. All my life

**I don't know how many of these I'm going to do, but it's going to be a lot. Just letting you know. **

**Some will be short, and others will be a lot longer. They're really just long drabbles, I don't actually watch how many words there are. **

**But, enough of that. Onto the story...**

* * *

Percy Jackson always had to fight.

Fight for his friends, his family, the world, and for his own life.

It was just normal demigod standards really, but being the son of Poseidon added extra pressure. It was like it was second job to save humanity whenever he had time.

Honestly though, he didn't complain. It wasn't in his nature to, and he'd learned to live with it. Sure, it was dangerous. Sure, his mother was always worried sick. Sure, his friends always faced death…

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked in his reflection in the water.

He didn't see much. A boy-a man almost- with raven black hair and green eyes like the sea. He didn't really a leader, or a powerful praetor. He didn't see someone who looked like they wielded a sword in their spare time. He really didn't see someone who'd saved the world countless times. All he saw was himself.

But whether he saw it or not, he was a hero. Perhaps one of the greatest. And he couldn't have gotten there if he didn't have to fight for it. It there was one thing he'd learned all those years, it was that you had to fight for what you believe in, for what you want.

He touched the water with his feet, before pulling himself up. The looked behind him, at the cabins he'd come to love so much. He looked back at the water before darting back to the action. Back to the fight.

* * *

**R&R**

**As always,**

**~Donnatella-r**


	5. Emotions

**I've been leaving this fic to the crows. **

**So I wrote some Jeyna to make up for it.**

**Here ya go...**

* * *

Reyna had always had problems with admitting emotions.

So when the time came for Jason to choose camps, she didn't know what to tell him.

She honestly could have told him that she loved him, and would die if he left again. She could have told him that when he disappeared, she was a wreck. She could have told him she wanted her satellite back.

Instead, she went for a Praetors meeting.

They stood alone in the principia nothing but a bowl of jelly beans between them. His arms were informally crossed over his chest. He was leaning back in his chair, his eyebrows raised.

Normally, any Roman would be scolded by her. He was the only exception.

"Yes Reyna?"

For a minute she hadn't registered what he'd said. Then she realized he'd only said her name. Did it really sound that way when he said it? So regal?

"Um, we need to talk," she replied.

He chuckled. "I figured that's why you called me. So what's up?"

His informality was irritating. "Your decision. We need to talk about it." She hoped her tone wasn't pleading.

The son of Jupiter didn't seem to notice. "My decision?" he asked.

The Praetor sighed. She really didn't want to go through all of this. She was afraid she would say something she'd regret. "You're decision on whether to stay here, or go back to Camp Half-Blood" she said simply.

He looked at her, then laughed. She put her hands on her hips and frowned. She didn't understand what was so funny.

"Are you done?" she asked icily. Her concern over him wasn't something she wanted to be laughed at.

He wiped a tear from his eyes. "Reyna, what kind of question is that? There's obviously no decision."

The daughter of Bellona's heart sank. So he was going away, with that beauty queen daughter of Aphrodite and the Greeks. Anger boiled in her chest. Disappointment ran through her veins. She was such a mess of emotions that she set her dagger down on the table, and put her down so he couldn't see her face.

All that work, just gone down the drain. She'd battled monsters, fought armies, become praetor; she'd done all that with him. And now he was leaving?

"Hey, Reyna, what's wrong?" The blond boy touched her lightly. She recoiled at the feeling. She didn't dare lift her head up, for fear he would see her crying.

"Reyna," he said. It was almost like he was using charmspeak on her. She lifted her slowly, and the son of Jupiter was shocked. Reyna was actually crying. Silver streaks glistened across her cheeks.

"Jason, just go. If you're going to leave, go now. Don't give me the curse of a final glance."

His eyes searched hers. Damn those eyes were beautiful. "Reyna, I'm not going anywhere."

The words shocked her. "What," she croaked, then winced at how vulnerable she sounded.

His crystal blue eyes looked into her dark brown ones. "Rey, as much as I love Camp Half Blood, this is my home. You know that. I'd never leave. Hazel, Bobby, Gwen, everyone; they're here for me. I need to be here for them."

As excited as she was, his next words shocked her-in the best way imaginable. "And I couldn't stand being away from you again."

She stared at him. A small, loving smile stretched across his face. Butterflies flew around her stomach at top speed.

"So, does this mean that you love me?" she asked the question carefully, as if he'd say no.

He chuckled. "I think so."

"Because I think I love you too"

* * *

**R&R, people**

**As always, **

**~Donnatella-r**


	6. Skin and Bones-Foo Fighters

He leaned on the sword, the colors of the rising sun swirling on the horizon line. Dawn swept light across the ship, making it seem even more magical.

The light passed by him, creating his shadow across the floor. It was the darkest part of the ship, black like night. Even a regular shadow didn't possess that much darkness. He knew that too well.

Nico di Angelo sighed.

Days ago he didn't think he'd be alive to see the sunrise again. Now he wished he wasn't.

_My fault. Could have…Should have saved them._

He closed his eyes. The image was all too clear. Two bodies, dangling over the pit. A couple, locking eyes before he made the final decision.

"_The other side Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"_

_Nico didn't want to let them go._ _"But-"_

"_Lead them there! Promise me!" _

_He couldn't promise him that. Looking into sea green eyes, full of determination and terror, Nico nodded. "I-I will."_

_They said something to each other. He couldn't hear it over their own screaming. Tears slipped down Hazel's cheeks as she watched them. _

And suddenly, faster than light they were falling into darkness. The last thing he saw was the broze light from a sword, and bright blond hair. And then they were gone.

"Are you okay?"

The voice didn't startle him. Nothing scared him anymore. What could be worse than being pitched into Tartarus, and losing the two people you care about the most?

He studied Hazel's face. Her glowing gold eyes bore into him. Her cinnamon colored hair was washed in orange light. Her features gave her a concerning look.

"I'm fine," Nico said, never taking his eyes off the horizon.

"I'm worried about you," she said carefully. "We all are."

Nico snuffed the urge to snort. As if anyone on the ship knew him well enough to care about him. The only two that did were now in Tartarus somewhere.

"No, Hazel, they're not. They're worried about Percy and Annabeth. They shouldn't be. Those two will make it out alive." Bowing his head, he muttered the next part. "They have to."

Hazel leaned on the railing. "Maybe they don't know you. Maybe they're scared. So what? You're the one Percy asked to lead us. You." She added, poking her finger into his chest.

She shouldn't have done that. Nico tipped to the side a bit, before making an extra effort to become right again. She pushed herself up, holding him so he wouldn't fall. He didn't meet her eyes.

"I can't live like this, Haze. I'm skin and bones at this point. No one's going to listen to me. If anything, Jason's taking over, with Leo as his right hand man. Piper follows everything he says, and no doubt you and Frank are going to take orders from your own praetor. Face it, I'm the son of Hades. No one is going to take orders from me."

Hazel didn't say anything, because like him, she knew it was true. No one respected children of Hades or Pluto because they could be downright scary. Nico knew what people thought of him. Sure, during the war, the Ares cabin found him cool, but that was it. He still wasn't accepted.

And though it was terrible, he was jealous of Hazel for fitting in to Camp Jupiter more than he ever would in Camp Half Blood. It was amazing how much of an outcast he really was.

"No one on the ship is going to treat you like that, got it?" Hazel tried her best to a good sister. At her efforts, he gave her a small smile.

"I appreciate it, Haze. But we both know that I'm scarier than you. If they don't respect me, they fear me. I'd rather that than being ignored." He was kidding, mainly, but Hazel shook her head.

"It's not that good to be feared."

Nico rolled his eyes. "As if I didn't know that already."

Hazel barley nudged him, but she did so with a smile. "I know it's hard. It's hard on all of us. But at least try. Everyone here is making an effort. We can't waste any of our energy. Like you said, when the Doors of Death are opened by Percy and Annabeth-which they will be- we have to be ready with swords drawn and battle cries up. You still believe in that, right?"

He looked straight into her eyes. Ever since his return to the living, his eyes were darker, deeper, and sadder than ever. They looked permanently broken, like there was something deep inside of him that would never be the same.

"I'd never give up on it." He said, dead serious. He looked over the horizon again, before Hazel put her hand on his shoulder.

"You're not just skin and bones, you know. You've got a heart, and I think you use it more than the rest of us. You're going to make them eat their words, Nico, just like you always do." Her smile was faint, but more genuine than any smile given to him on this ship.

The blue ocean spanned across them, the water the same color as the sky. Everything was changing around them, it was so hard to keep up. Nico fixed his eyes on the water, as if making a promise to it. But his heart knew where the promise was really going.

_I'll lead them. We'll find you. I promise._

The sun was over their heads, high in the sky, and so were their hopes.

* * *

She snarled, her deadly beautiful face contorting into a cruel, twisted look. All around her the earth was shifting, trying to rise. It fell, collecting into piled of lose sand before trying again.

"So, son of Hades. You think you can escape me? I'll make sure your death is a thousand times worse than anything my idiot twins can think of. Your spilt blood will be the main attraction for all to see, especially your precious little sister."

The goddess's face smiled coldly, letting the most evil shrieking noise pierce the air around her. Her laugh rumbled under the earth's crust. Her face was clearer now, rich dark skin, a black veil, long robes and a sinister, yet motherly smile. Gaia growled.

"And your remains will sink into the deepest part of the underworld. So far gone that even your name won't be remembered. I'll make sure that you won't have to worry about honor, anymore. Mark this day, Nico di Angelo, because your time is coming to a most permanent end."

And slowly, slower than sinking quicksand in slow motion, it was like her eyes were almost opening.

* * *

**Did you like? It was just my thoughts, knowing the way Nico looks up to Percy like that. I hope everything goes well from now on. Can't wait for House of Hades though. **

**Yours in Demigodishness, and all that,**

***Rain-Dance-Dani**


	7. This is how I Disappear-MCR

Aurora was distracted.

Could you blame her really? She was a twelve year old ADHD demigod, who'd just fought in a devastating war. Her brothers and sisters were either slaughtered or missing. She was trying desperately to find Alabaster and Lou Ellen, when she stumbled in front of the Empire State building.

She felt tired. Her curly blond hair was a mess, and smoldering. Blue, black and purple was spotted all over her body. Her clothes were tattered and ripped. A bandage went across her torso, and slashes and cuts ran through her skin, but she still stood tall.

She looked up at the building, and stared in confusion. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she gazed straight to the top.

Blue. The top of the Empire State building was blue.

Who would have done that? And why? Looking up at it again, she really wondered what purpose it would serve.

As Aurora stepped closer to the door, her whole body shivered. A silent warning passed through her, and she stepped back. She understood the message quite clearly. _You are not welcome._

Instead of whimpering, she crossed her arms. The gods. They were sending her a warning, telling her that if she even stepped near those glass revolving doors, she'd be blasted with all they had.

Again, she looked at the top, thinking about what color she would have done. Orange, maybe, her favorite color. Or purple. She finally decided on green, for her mother, Hecate.

The magic goddess had streaked the tower earlier, sending up colors to interfere with the magic going in and out, making it harder for the gods to travel. She wondered if that was still going on.

Truth be told, she didn't even know if Camp Half Blood had won or not. They were incredibly outnumbered, and a couple of their soldiers had died as far as she knew. But it couldn't be compared to the mass murder of her own side.

Aurora fought back tears as she remembered how her youngest sister, and girl of ten years old, was killed by a demigod on the bridge. She could never forget her, impaled with a spear right in her back. She'd fallen down in a battle cry for Kronos.

The Titan King hadn't come back down from Olympus. It was incredibly weird to think that the almighty gods were sitting up there, above the clouds, looking down at her and scowling. She blew a raspberry at the sky, hoping they could see.

Just as she was about to turn away, the doors opened. A boy came out of the building, tired and beaten. He had very messy black hair, and pale scratched skin. His armor was off, and he was wearing all black. A pure black sword hung on his hilt. He looked straight at her.

"What are you doing out here? Everyone's inside." He said. She could see his eyes now. They were really dark brown. He had a small dash of freckles on his nose.

Aurora looked confused. "Are you talking to me?"

He walked closer, and she kept her hand on her scabbard. This guy didn't seem like he was from her side. No, she could tell immediately that he was from Camp Half Blood. He didn't say it, nor did he have the orange tee-shirt, but something about him…

The daughter of Hecate looked back up, her green eyes trained on the top. "I'm not going in there."

He frowned, but he looked confused. "Why not?"

"I…I'm not supposed to. I can tell."

He laughed. It was kind of weird, as if he didn't laugh much. "The gods are doing you a favor. Letting you in. they don't change much, but they're trying."

"No," she said bitterly. "They don't do they?"

He eyed her a bit wearily now. She looked back at him again, and realized for the first time that they could have been the same age. He was a bit taller than her though.

"How old are you?" Aurora asked, catching him off guard.

He stepped back a minute before regaining his composure. "I'm twelve," he replied hesitantly. The curly haired girl nodded her head.

"Eleven" she replied with dignity, as if proving a point. She blinked, suddenly seeming very tired, though Morpheus's curse shouldn't have affected her. Her eyes closed for a minute, and she felt like she was falling. When she opened them again, she was looking at the New York skyline.

She clutched her head. "What-" she started to ask, then realized that someone was holding her.

"Are you okay?" the boy asked. He was holding her up from under her arms. "You blacked out for a second."

She looked up at his face. His brown eyes looked directly into hers. They were actually quite nice. She gathered her thoughts and snatched herself up.

"I'm fine," she lied. She put a hand on her scabbard, feeling around for her dagger. Her eyes widened when she looked down. It was gone.

Rage filled her stare. "Where's my dagger," she asked the boy wildly. She closed the gap between them and held his shirt in her fist. "I want it back."

He didn't look too scared. "Alright! Jeez, I wasn't trying to steal it." She let him go and he fixed his shirt. He took it from his hilt and placed it back in her hand. "It would have fallen right on you. I was trying to help."

She seemed frustrated. "I don't need your help! When have any of you helped me?" The question was more stated to the gods than him. He looked at her curiously, then backed away with wide eyes.

"You fought in Kronos's army, didn't you?"It sounded more like a statement than a question, but she answered it anyway.

"Yes, I did. Is that a problem? I fought for my mother and what I believe in."

He put his hands up in surrender. "Hey," he said shrugging. "Whatever. I mean, I would have done the same thing, under circumstances."

Aurora didn't believe him. "Then why didn't you?" She asked, testing him.

He looked at away with a hard glare. After what seemed like an internal battle, he sighed heavily. "My sister died fighting for this. I'm not going to throw it all away, just because I was mad at someone."

He had so much anger and sadness in his voice that Aurora wished she could take it back. His head dropped and his voice seemed shaky. She took a breath.

"Well," she started. "All of my brothers and sisters died for this. I can't find any of them. And what's worse? I have to go home to a family who knows that what I did was wrong, but I did it anyways. How could I possibly do that?"

He didn't answer. "You all say that your lives are hard, but what about us? We don't have a beautiful camp, with food at our disposal. When don't have lakes, and strawberry fields. You take Camp Half Blood for granted, and what your parents do for you."

The boy glared harder. It was as scary as she'd thought. Her brother, Alabaster had given people rather bad ones, but even at his best they didn't compare. "What's your name?" he asked out of the blue.

"Aurora, daughter of Hecate." She replied. She honestly didn't see where this was going. "And you are?"

"Nico, son of Hades." He retorted.

Aurora raised an eyebrow at that. "And you fought for the Olympians when your own father gets no respect? That's hypocritical."

"You know what?" he spat back. "At least I did something useful! I changed the way the Olympians think. When do you think they'd ever seen a child of Hades be a hero? I could be the first! And you should be grateful that Percy listened to me and created a pact that the Olympians would create new cabins, for you traitors!"

Her temper flew through the roof. Normally she'd be a bit more controlled, but she lost it. "Excuse me?" she screamed back at him. It wasn't a good idea when she had a dizzy head, but she was just so angry.

"I've trained since I was nine years old for this! I didn't join willingly, they recruited me. Said that if I left, they'd kill my family. I listened to Luke drone on and on about how little the gods cared for us, but you and I both know that it's only the Olympians. If it were up to the minor gods, we'd all be claimed by now, and not waiting for a sign! We wouldn't be in this mess! And don't tell me that your little hero son of Poseidon didn't leave us out. Because if he did, this war, all these deaths, including your sister would have died for no reason! Did you think about that?"

Her chest heaved after her rant. Nico looked at her, almost sympatheically. He couldn't think of anything to say, but he looked shocked when he saw tears streaming down her face. She didn't say anything about, or wipe them away, but Nico was still looking at her.

"Alright, I get it. It's hard. Let's agree on that. But you've got Camp Half Blood now. You all do. You don't have to be alone again."

"You're not going to promise," she said shakily. "Don't promise something you can't keep."

He almost smiled sadly. "I promise I won't."

Aurora rolled her eyes. Just as Nico turned around walked back into the building, someone yelled her name. "Aurora! Aurora Jane!"

She turned to see Lou running towards her, black hair flying back. Aurora collided with her sister, who was crying and stroking her hair. She kissed the top of her forehead. "He's gone. Alabaster's gone," she whispered.

She looked up at her sister. "He's gone? He's not dead is he?" She was on the verge of tears again.

"No, but he's gone. I think he's safe. It's over A; we lost. It's all gone."

The two of them stood, rocking back and forth slowly. Aurora thought about all that Nico told her about the Camp. _You've got Camp Half Blood now. _It seemed almost impossible.

"Lou," she whispered, pulling out of the hug. "We can go to Camp Half Blood. We'll be safe."

She seemed distant. Her green eyes were darker than she'd ever remembered. They glittered like emeralds.

"We can't go there, and you know it. We'll never get passed the defense."

Aurora shook her head. "Their building new cabins. One, just for people like us! We'll be safe there and maybe even accepted."

The black haired girl thought it over. "We could. But we'll never be accepted by the others. They'll see us as traitors for a while, but we have no other options." She grimaced, not really liking the idea, then sighed.

"Alright kid, we'll go. But be warned, if anyone looks at us the wrong way, we're busting out, and tracking down Alabaster. Got it?"

Aurora smiled, but barely. She hugged her sister tighter, and Lou did the same. "We'll survive," the little girl spoke. "I know it."

* * *

The summer was ending, but more campers were filing in. Every kind, from Hebe to Athena to Tyche and even the Hunters were milling around just about everywhere.

The cabins were almost finished. The last one was Nike, a black and gold cabin soon to be decorated with a glittering set of scales. The campers were eager as ever to finish them up; that would make a new total of twenty cabins.

The Hades cabin was the first new one built. It was all black with torches of green flames, and a silver skull above the door. Someone had attempted to pull a joke of putting flowers around the front of the cabin. They'd died soon enough, and gave the cabin a better look, in Aurora's opinion.

The same girl was sitting in the strawberry fields, eating some every now and then. Her sister Lou Ellen was talking to a girl from the Demeter cabin, Miranda. The two girls worked their very different magic to create some of the best strawberries Aurora had ever tasted.

"What do you think?" Miranda turned to the young girl. Miranda was pretty, with golden brown hair, darker than Aurora's and eyes brown like fields of wheat. She smiled brightly, and had a straw hat on her head and dirt under her nails.

Aurora picked one from a vine. "They couldn't be more perfect," she smiled. She opened her mouth to eat one when it got snatched from her hand.

"That's totally enough A," Lou scolded, popping it into her mouth. It was amazing how much she'd changed. Her eyes had dark makeup around them, and she wore her hair up. They both wore an orange camp shirt. Lou had battered black flats and dark skinny jeans.

Aurora dressed a bit lighter. Her shirt was a bit big, with the sleeves rolled up. Her shorts were light wash and her high top sneakers were fire truck red, and new looking. Her eyes were void of any sadness, sparkling like Hydra acid.

She stuck her tongue out at Lou, who just walked away. She still sat in the same space, but looked around. The big house stood not too far from where she was sitting. The Arena was packed with people and the sounds of sparring. Canoes sat on the lake, and every now and then the splash of playful naiads would touch the surface. The Cabins were farther away, but everyone was around them. Girls in silver jackets shot arrows with deadly accuracy; much to the dismay of angry Apollo boys. Aurora chuckled.

She never thought she'd like it here, let alone he happy here. Sure, every now and then she'd get a bad look, but the environment itself was great. She crossed her legs and plucked another strawberry when a shadow passed over.

"So you made it," a voice said.

She looked up to see the same again, Nico, still wearing all black. His hair was only slightly neater than she remembered. His sword was still at his side, as always. He kind of smiled, but not really.

"Yep," Aurora said. She didn't stand, but Nico sat down across from her. Instead of eating the strawberry like she planned, she rolled it around between her fingers before levitating it. She moved her fingers, the strawberry rotating in response.

Nico kept his dark eyes on it. "That's awesome," was all he said.

"I guess," she shrugged, but she kept doing it. Nico tried to snatch it, but she closed her hand and the berry exploded in his face. She laughed.

Nico looked extremely annoyed. "Funny," he said, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

She frowned. "Sorry," she said, and pointed her finger in his face. He went cross eyed looking at it. "What are you-"

Before he finished she drummed her fingers in the air, and suddenly his face was dry. He touched it, making sure nothing had happened to him. "Wow," he said, genuinely this time.

She didn't say anything back. He still remembered when he'd first met her, dirty, beaten and broken. She'd changed a lot. He didn't notice it before, but her hair was purple at the ends.

"So, how's Camp Half Blood?" he asked. She looked back up at him.

"It's amazing," she said, watching pegasi fly above them. People were laughing and clearly enjoying themselves. She seemed mesmerized by everything.

Nico shrugged. "It's gotta be one of the only places on earth where we're safe."

Aurora raised an eyebrow. "One of?" she asked. As far as she knew it was the _only_ place where they were safe.

"I'm pretty sure there are other little safe places, but they're not like this." He said, seeming a bit distant.

"Oh," she said back. "Well, I'm just glad Lou's happy. And we've got a lot more siblings than I'm used to." Her gaze wondered back to the omega of cabins, watching as campers of all ages smiled, even after a long hard war. "Is it always this great here?" She figured that at least once Camp Half Blood had felt some sort of depression during the war. But judging from the way everything looked, it might not have.

Someone else laughed. Aurora looked around, and saw two people standing behind Nico. A very pretty girl with blond, curly hair. She was tan and tall with sharp grey eyes and a knife on her scabbard. She looked down at Nico with a polite smile. She seemed nice enough, but dangerously powerful.

A boy stood next to her. He almost radiated power and leadership, even if he had the world's dumbest smile on his face. His hair was black like Nico's and his eyes were the color of the sea. His complexion was tan, and instead of a hilt, a pen stuck out of his pocket.

"Um, hi," Aurora said uncertainly. Nico turned around, and smiled.

"Hey Perce, hey Annabeth," he said coolly, before noticing their touching hands. He smirked. "Interesting."

The boy laughed. "I think I'm more interested in your girlfriend here," he smiled brightly, and the girl, Annabeth smiled a bit.

Nico's face turned red. Aurora's own was heating up quickly. She was pretty sure her face was the color of a strawberry. "She's not my girlfriend," he said, at the same time Aurora mumbled, "He's not my boyfriend."

He laughed again, and patted Nico's head. "Sure she's not. She's pretty though," he said, earning him a look from the blond.

Aurora didn't really know what to say, getting compliments from random people. Nico noticed her face. "Right." He said, scratching the back of his neck. "Aurora, this is Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."

The two of them stood up, and Aurora shook hands with Annabeth. "Nice to meet you," she smiled. As powerful as she seemed, Aurora was pretty sure that she was a great person to hang out with.

Nico looked at the boy with mock disdain. "And this is Percy Jackson. Son of Poseidon." Percy smiled and held out his hand.

"Hi," he said, and Aurora didn't know what to do. She remembered all the times Alabaster promised that if he ever met Percy Jackson, he'd kill him. Now he was standing right in front of her, hand out and unsuspecting. She could just lash out a spell, and kill him. Be done with it.

But as badly as Alabaster had hated him, Aurora never had. She admired his courage, and was glad that he wasn't just fighting for Olympus, but the rest of the demigods as well. He truly was a savior.

She smiled genuinely at him. She shook his hand and said "Thank you so much. All of you. I could never ask for anything more than this. I wish I could repay the debt."

Percy was about the open his mouth and say something, along with Nico. Annabeth glared playfully at both of them. "You're welcome. All in the day of a demigod, right?"

Aurora smiled, just as the horn for lunch sounded across the Camp. People rushed to the pavilion, screaming and laughing. Annabeth and Percy raced each other, leaving Nico and Aurora again. They walked side by side, still talking.

"Nice guy, huh?" Nico asked.

Aurora nodded. "Extremely. I didn't think the Heroes of Olympus would be so humble and down to earth, ya know?"

"Percy is the greatest guy you'll ever meet, honestly. Everyone's just glad that he's happy with what he's done."

"Could you ever imagine him leaving? I mean, growing up and going to college. He's what, sixteen? He might go in two years."

She'd hit a spot with that one, she thought, but Nico shook his head, still smirking. "That's the thing. He loves it here. He'd never leave this place, no matter how old he is."

"Would you?" They were almost there. Her oldest brothers kept calling her over, and she signaled for them to wait.

Nico shrugged. "I leave and come back. But if I would permanently leave? Never. Camp's really grown on me," Aurora noticed a few people looking at them, whispering. One pretty blond girl with two ponytails crossed her arms and scowled. A couple other girls smiled at Nico brightly, while some looked like they were going to faint.

"I can see that," she smirked. He raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" he asked seriously, not noticing the pack of fan girls behind them. She smiled.

"Absolutely nothing." She said, and went in line, leaving him behind.

When she sat at her table, Lou bumped her with her shoulder. "Who's tall, dark and powerful over there?" she smirked at her sister. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Every boy at her table laughed, while others smirked. Aurora rolled her eyes. "Quit," she said firmly, and everyone else resumed talking about it.

Lou smiled, rolling her eyes. "Whatever. Just don't let him be a distraction, okay?"

Aurora didn't respond. She wasn't sure what he was, but a distraction? She could handle that. After all, great things come out of distractions.

* * *

**So, yeah. I've actually had that for some time.**

**I'm starting up with these again. If you want to see a certain Demigod or even god, just put it in the review I know you want to write me ;)**

**Anyways, me randomly updating with three new chapters will become a things. Be prepared for that.**

**As always**

***Rain-Dance-Dani**


	8. Feel Good Inc -Gorillaz

**It's been a while, I know. But in my defense, I've got MSL testing in Math tomorrow, and the years almost up. I wrote this today after having some random, yet major Reyna feelings. I love writing about her. **

**So yeah. I don't own Percy Jackson. **

* * *

The _principia_ was empting for the night as the stars twinkled into existence around New Rome. Older demigods were heading out for the night, maybe grabbing dinner while trainees were off to the barracks for the lights out, which would be approaching soon. And out on the horizon of San Francisco bay, a very large, bronze ship was docking in the calm waters. Yes, pretty much everything seemed smooth and peaceful in Berkley and in Camp Jupiter.

But a harsh yellow light still glowed in the _principia_.

Reyna Santiago was sitting in her chair, jelly bean bowl empty, metal dogs asleep, cape askew. Her normally neatly braided hair was tied up into a stringy, messy bun, tied rather improperly. The stack of papers she'd been sorting through lay on her desk. Work swarmed her, and she knotted her fingers in her hair, blowing out air from her nose. It was wasn't the papers that were overwhelming. It was the words, names and numbers that swirled around in her head that mad her dizzy and sick. But a certain sentence was edging her to tears.

_You don't make him happy._

Those five words sent her mind into a frenzy. That shiny little dagger was tipping over her large wooden bureau. Noticing it almost falling, she plucked it up, unsheathing it in the process. Turning the gold weapon over in her hand, she examined it.

Her dagger was nothing. It didn't have a distinct sheen or anything, nor did it give her any visions, like a certain historic dagger. It merely served its purpose in battle. In fact, she could run her finger over the nicks and scratches and replay the battle scenes in her head.

Her calloused fingertips were poised over a certain ding in the Imperial gold. Furrowing her brows, she tried to remember how she had gotten that particular scratch. Running over it again and again, Reyna couldn't put the thought in her mind. But she knew-with this horrible nagging feeling-that it had to do with Jason Grace.

And that was okay. Or, at least she thought it was okay. Trying to swallow back that feeling of emptiness, she turned the hilt over in her palm. No use. The welling lump in her throat pressed her to produce tears. And maybe Reyna was just tired and alone, and only now feeling the backlash, but she grit her teeth a bit too hard and sunk her dagger into her desk with a grunt, followed by an outcry that would worry anyone.

Panting from an unhealthy release of emotions, Reyna pushed back the stray pieces of hair crowning her face and sunk back into her chair. It was only then, her sight clouded did she noticed someone standing in the doorway.

"That is mahogany," they said half-heartedly, obviously trying to make a joke. The voice sounded familiar, but she still couldn't see properly. The daughter of Bellona rubbed her eyes, attempting to look casual. "What?" she asked harshly.

The figure walked closer, but not too close where Reyna could throw her dagger into their skull. "You know," they started off, putting their hand their pockets. "You don't always have to be so strong."

Reyna didn't know how to take this. She stood up and blinked, trying to regain her sight. When it returned, she scowled slightly, though she tried not to show it. "What are you doing here?" she interrogated.

Standing in front of her was a teenaged boy with the messiest black hair she'd ever encountered. His powdery white skin made him almost transparent under the golden light from above. He was so lanky that it made Reyna wince. He wasn't too much shorter than her, but he appeared to look so much smaller in his oversized dusty brown aviator's jacket and large sword that hung off his belt. Overall, he looked extremely unhealthy, and this aura waved off of him smelled strongly of the Underworld.

Her scowl dissipated. Stepping back, Reyna tried not to show how surprised she was. It had been only a few weeks ago that she had last seen the Ambassador of Pluto, and now the boy was standing before her was looking like just that: a boy. He stood, shifting his weight under her pitying glance. She steeled her gaze after realizing that he, like her wasn't comfortable with such sympathetic emotions.

Crossing her arms to show her indifference, Reyna chose to simply look at the son of Pluto-_Hades_, she meant- as though he were anyone else. "I asked you a question."

Sighing, Nico gripped the chair in front of him. As Reyna brushed a lock of hair behind her ears, she noticed him tap his ring finger, which had a silver skull ring she'd never noticed before. Bringing her attention back to his face, she heard him say, "Leo told me to make sure you were okay. He also sent me to get you. We're headed to Greece right now, and we could use your help again." The two sentences seemed strained coming from his mouth now. His whole body swayed, as if gravity didn't have a good hold on him.

Regarding all this, Reyna waved her hand, gesturing to the chair he was gripping. "Sit," she commanded him.

Nico raised an eyebrow. Despite his frail state, he could still tell that Reyna was being uncharacteristically caring. And Reyna could tell that he was thinking it. "Sit down," she said again, this time in a softer tone. "You're obviously in no condition to be standing, and I'm not hauling your useless _podex_ to that ship of yours, so _sit_."

"Yes Ma'am," Nico mocked, and Reyna hardened her glaze. Maybe being soft was the wrong way to go. She instantly took that back as she watched how hard it was for Nico to do something simple. The praetor sighed. "You shouldn't over use your powers, son of Hades." Going behind her desk, she fetched an uncorked bottle of nectar and a square of ambrosia. She flung her cape behind her back and handed it to Nico, hoping the headstrong kid would take it.

He got the idea, and nodded in thanks. Ever since they rescued her from certain almost death, a lot of the Greeks had been more casual to her. She was never sure how she felt about that; after all she worked hard to earn her respect. Though none were ever as casual as Percy Jackson had been.

And thinking of that, Reyna felt her shoulders droop again. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase were now trapped in Tartarus, behind the Doors of Death, and now it was up to the seven to save them. Reyna her guard down for the time being, and had audibly gasped. If anyone was strong enough to bear Hell it would be Percy, especially with Annabeth by his side. However, it wasn't unlikely that one would be surprised at the news.

Shaking out of her revere, the daughter of Bellona noticed Nico eyeing the dagger she had earlier embedded in her desk. He didn't dare touch it, but he did say, "Someone once told me that I was seriously troubled, but I've never done anything like that." He was standing on his own, she observed.

The conversation he was undertaking seemed tedious, but in the back of her mind, Reyna figured that she needed this. Her mind had been straying in and out of different things, and she hadn't stepped foot outside in hours, for fear she might run into some hostile demigod, calling her a traitor. Though the son of Hades had lied to her, she couldn't feel angry at someone so frail for long. Deciding to engage, she asked, "Who told you that?"

Maybe she was imagining things from lack of sleep, but she swore he smiled. "Dionysus. Bacchus, to you." The double names made her head spin, but she didn't point this out. Eyeing the Greek, she decided to return the mutual friendliness. "And you believed a word he said?"

He snorted. This wasn't a hallucination. "Yeah, well. That was a long time ago." He placed his hand on the dagger, and wrenched it out of the wood. Holding the hilt, he flipped it, handing it to her. She took it gently. "Though, I'll admit that I was messed up."

Reyna nodded. She didn't want their stories to become too one-sided or emotional, so she changed the subject. Clearing her throat, she questioned, "What did you mean earlier, when you barged in?"

Now that he was facing her, he didn't smile. Reyna held the teenagers gaze, but she had to force herself to keep eye contact. His dark brown eyes were hardened, and almost black, but they reminded her of a shattered window pane. "I meant what I said. You don't need to act like an Iron Lady. Sure, you have obligations, but you've also got emotions, like anyone else. It's okay to be human."

She snorted, but Reyna felt a pang in her chest. Holding back her spite, she quipped. "And you're one to talk di Angelo?" She hadn't meant to lash out at the young Ambassador but what could he possibly tell her about being human?

As if reading her mind, Nico stepped closer to her. She shifted, feeling uncomfortable. Reyna hadn't realized before, but the son of Hades was almost taller than her, despite their age difference. Then, as if by magic, from his coat pocket he produced a small something and held it up. Upon closer inspection, the Roman girl could see that it was a tiny figurine of a goddess. It belonged to that game she played often with Jason when she was younger; Mythomagic. The goddess was Hecate, it looked like. Yes, Hecate had been her favorite goddess during the game. Vaguely, she thought about the one she kept with her at times. Her face quickly heated up as she saw the tiny sharpie marks that indicated her names: _RS._

"You left this, your highness," he said, though she saw plainly that his lips tipped up. He placed it rightly on the table between them. She looked at him bewildered, before she snatched it up, very red in the face. She was hoping Nico didn't ask whether it was from embarrassment or anger.

Instead he simply stated "You left it in the mess hall when you hurried out. If I wasn't looking for this," he pulled out one of his own; a figurine of his own shrouded in black clothing, holding a staff and topped with a crown. It was Pluto, she came to understand, his father. "I would never have found yours." He pointed to tiny figure. "Hecate's a good one to have though. She's only got around three thousand attack power, but she's really rare and once you've got her card, she's around four thousand. I've got a friend, a daughter of Hecate who doesn't play, but has a figurine just like yours. Not quite as old you though."

She had no clue why he was talking about this. He was making his way to the door, when Reyna called after him, "I'm not finished talking to you," she scolded him. Turning around, the pale boy stood with a blank expression. Taking a deep breath, the girl asked, "Why are you telling me all this?" And she meant every word as it sounded. She knew from experience in dealing with people like Nico di Angelo that most of them didn't open up to people like her. What did he see in her that made him talk like this?

He shrugged. Then, sighing like she had a while ago, he explained, "Someone once told me that it's okay to be a kid sometimes," from the grave tone in his voice, Reyna got a feeling he might be talking about Percy. "And I think it is okay to be a kid sometimes. After all, none of us are too different from each other." He looked straight in her brown eyes, before breaking contact. "You're not a machine Reyna, it's something both you and Leo need to understand." He didn't say more, but she got the feeling that he couldn't exactly practice what he preached.

She watched as the boy strolled out of the door frame. He didn't look back before he turned a corner, and Reyna couldn't be sure if he used the shadows to disappear, or if he simply kept walking. She didn't dwell on it though. To her, she knew Nico di Angelo would always be a mystery.

Holding the little doll in her hands, she thought of how she'd gotten it- Jason had gotten it for her as a peace offering. They'd been playing Mythomagic with Bobby and Gwen and she'd been lecturing how unfair it was that she didn't own one piece of the game, and she'd been challenged a weeks' worth of chores for a win. And after much complaining, Jason had bought her the Hecate figurine. He never explained why, but Reyna had figured that after her four game winning streak that it was her lucky memento.

She felt foolish now, knowing that it was her skill all along, and not the fact that the son of Jupiter had bought it for her. Still, that made the sentiment all the more special. Gazing wistfully out the window, Reyna exhaled slowly before stacking all of her paper neatly into a pile, and pushing it into the farthest corner of her desk. Reyna ran her fingers over the nock she'd made in the smooth red wood, regretting her sudden anger.

Rousing her dogs from sleep, the metal canines yipped annoyed. She pulled a face at them, and ordered them to heel. She watched them paced for a moment before, very mechanically, they walked over with stiff legs and creaky joints from being crumpled up for so long.

She thought about Nico's comment. _It's okay to be human._ She unsheathed her dagger as she turned off the light, blinking to adjust in the darkness. Feeling the soft grip, her fingers fumbled over the hilt before she felt it- a scratch made in the leather, one that hadn't been there before. Thinking over recent events, Reyna knotted her brows. This was one encounter she didn't remember.

And it took her almost the entire walk to the Argo II before she remembered Nico di Angelo's silver skull ring.

* * *

**I don't ship them, but I was hoping they'd have a good dynamic. I was going to write Leyna, but this just flowed better. **

**And actually, I'm starting up Paradise again for real this time. I've got three chapters written, with new characters and everything. So, that'll be coming soon. **

**Flames accepted, whatever you want, just review. **

**Yours in demigodishness, and all that. Peace out. **

***RRDC**


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